Holder for receptacles



Aug. 5, 1958 R. E. PAIGE HOLDER FOR RECEPTACLES Filed Au 50, 1952 INVENTOR. Richard E. Paige Arronnav United States Patent 2,846,062 HOLDER FOR RECEPTACLES Richard E. Paige, New York, N. Y. Application August30, 1952, Serial No. 307,261 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) My invention is an improvement in carriers or holders for receptacles, particularly for sealed cans and the likewith liquid or other contents.

An important object of this invention is to provide a holder for cans having depressed upper and lower ends surrounded by projecting rims, the holder being adapted to retain several cans therein, and having novel diagonally extending portions for engaging the rims of some of the cans at the extremities of the holder to prevent dis placement. Several cans, with such a holder can easily be handled in a single package.

Another object is to provide a holder or carrier with retaining portions so disposed and shaped that they are automatically actuated and distended to locking position by the cans themselves as the cansare' inserted into the holder at the extremities thereof.

-Another object is to provide a holder of the type mentioned above, simple, inexpensive and effective in design, fashioned out of sheet material, such as cardboard, bent into the required shape. (The drawings illustrate two preferred embodiments of the invention; but I do notwish to be limited to-the exact construction set forth herein... Variations in? details may be adopted without really altering any of the essential characteristics of the holder, as defined in the appended claims.

On said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank of sheet material out of which the holder is made.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a finished holder and the cans therein.

Figure 3 is a section along line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another holder according to this invention; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one end of the holder of Figure 1, enlarged, to show the action of the retaining tabs.

The holder is made of a blank 1 of cardboard or other flexible sheet material, rectangular in outline, with transverse parallel score lines 2. These lines are four in number and divide the blank into narrow sections 3 and wide sections 4, one section 4 lying between the narrow sections 3, one of which is at one end of the blank; the other wide section 4 being at the opposite end. The one section 3 at an end of the blank has a connector flap 5 along its outer edge.

The holder is set up by bending the blank along the score lines 2 and gluing or otherwise afixing the flap 5 to the inner face of the opposite section 4 along the inner edge of the latter. The device thus assumes the form of a sleeve or tube, rectangular in cross section, with closed .sides, top and bottom but open at both ends. For cans 6 containing beer, for example, the holder is wide and high enough for the cans to fit in snugly with the ends of the cans abutting the narrow sections 3. The holder of Figures 1, 2 and 3 will receive four cans in all; one at each end protruding and two between them and fully enclosed.

The cans have slightly depressed tops and bottoms 7 2,846,062 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 with projecting rims 8. Such cans are'called chimed cans. Each section 3 has pairs of flaps or tabs 9 cut therein and attached along score lines 10, one pair at each end to be adjacent the tops and bottoms of the cans at the extremities of the holder. These tabs are folded into the holder along score lines 10 to bind against rims. or circular chimes 8. The tabs 9 of course extend toward each other and engage the inner-half of the rims of the two cans at the extremities of the tube so that these two cans are held securely in place, but their curved lateral faces project, so that about half of each of the two cans is exposed. The distance between the tabs 9 of each section 3 is such that one or more extra cans may be located in the holder between the cans at its extremities, all in contact with one another and retained in a single compact row. The score lines of the tabs 9 of each pair along their junctions with the sections 3. converge away. from the adjacent extremity of the holder. Therefore, when the tabs 9 are bent into the holder they project from the inner faces of the sections 3 and their surfaces are inclined in opposite directions with respect to the length of these sections. The spaces between the tabs present their greatest width to the open extremities of the holder and when a can is inserted, the rims press against the tabs which yield and fold against the top and bottom, so that the cans may slip past them. When the holder is filled part of the rims 8 of the two cans at the extremities are moved just far enough beyond these tabs to clear them. Due to the'resiliency of the material the tabs tend to unfold and their free edges then bind'a'gainst the rims 8. All the cans are thus held against d isplacement.

The free edges of the tabs somewhat to the rims 8, andit will be observed that any pull on the tabs by the cans, ifthe holder is held inclined or vertical, will' not be perpendicular to the score lines" 10, but will make a smaller angle therewith. Hence the liability of tearing, bending or breaking the tabs is reduced, and all the cans in the holder will be held securely. This is because such a stress is exerted nearly lengthwise of the tabs 9 and lines 10, so that the greatest strength of the tabs is opposed to any force tending to tear or bend these tabs.

Figure 3 presents the parts in section, broken away across the middle to reduce the height of this view.

The holder can be produced at low cost and the construction is simple and practical and well calculated to serve its intended purpose. It can be filled in a moment and to extract the cans, a knife blade inserted under the tabs will release the cans at once if the holder is to be saved, or the holder can be torn off the cans if it is to be discarded.

The holder can of course be utilized for any sealed container having tops with upstanding rims such as above described.

The carrier of Figure 4 is constructed for two rows of cans placed side by side. This article is also made of a blank of sheet material bent into shape, with two top sections 11 and two bottom sections 12. The outermost long edges of the top and bottom sections are connected by sides 13 and the blank has a portion or section 14 that rises from the inner edge of one section 12 and forms a partition dividing the holder into two compartments, open at the opposite ends. The inner edge of the other section 12 has a fiap 15 bent up and secured to the partition 14. Between the top sections 11 is an upstanding portion 16 in two layers, folded together and united at the upper edges the lower edges being joined one to the inner edge of each top section. The upper edge of the partition 14 lies between the layers of the folded portion 16 and is made fast thereto. In the folded portion apertures 17 are cut for the hand and the flaps 9 can be curved to conform.

18 that are cut to form the openings remain hinged along the upper edge and are bent upward to leave no sharp edges at the tops of the apertures 17.

The purpose of the can carrier of this invention, whether it be for three, four or six cans is to get the consumer" to' purchase several cans at a time. Hence a' buyer who ordinarily take one or two cans will select more because of the way in which they are packaged. This is of'advantage to the retail grocer, and to the original producer.

My invention aflords a considerable saving in material. It can be fashioned out of a rectangular blank without projections; and the carrier above described is easy to load, hence no waste is entailed. The machine which loads it will cost less and will be slightly quicker in action because the carrier can be loaded from both ends at once.

The flaps of the applicants holder can of course be placed in any operative position adjacent the ends of the carrier through which the cans are inserted.

Having described by invention what I claim to be new is:

l. A holder for a row of cylindrical cans having projecting rims at their ends, said holder comprising a plurality of paperboard panels serially connected to define a tube of substantially rectangular cross-section having top, bottom and side walls and open ends, said top and bottom walls being similar and of substantially elongated rectangular shape, said top and bottom walls each having two pairs of flaps cut therein, each pair of flaps being arranged transversely, inwardly of and adjacent an open end of the .tube and diagonally hinged along scorelines on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the top and bottom walls with the scorelines of each pair of flaps diverging toward their adjacent open end of the tube, said flaps being foldable inwardly on said hinge lines and each flap having an arcuate edge adapted to engage the rim of a can along a substantial portion of its inner periphery for retaining the can within the holder with a portion of the can projecting from said open end.

2. A holder for a row of cylindrical cans having projecting rims at their ends, said holder comprising a plurality of paperboard panel s serially connected to define a tube of substantially rectangular cross-section having top, bottom and side walls and open ends, said top and bottom walls being similar and of substantially elongated rectangular shape, said top and bottom walls each having two pairs of flaps, each pair of flaps being arranged transversely, diagonally hinged along scorelines on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the top and bottom walls with the scorelines of each pair of flaps diverging toward an open end of the tube, said flaps being foldable inwardly on said hinge lines and each flap having an arcuate edge adapted to engage the rim of a can along a portion of its inner periphery for retaining the can within the holder with a portion of the can projecting from said open end.

3. A boxboard carrier for aplurality of chimed cans comprisingan open end tube made of hingedly connected panels at least one of which has a locking mechanism folded out of the plane of the panel, said mechanism comprising a pair of die cut flaps folded upon a pair of converging score lines which are set at an oblique angle to the parallel scores which define the tube so that the flaps fold away from each other, said flaps being foldable for approximately degrees to a position within the tube in which they lie upon the recessed end of a can with their cut edges abutting the inner periphery of a chime.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,855 Fuller Nov. 22, 1932 2,523,985 Foster Sept. 26, 1950 2,554,190 Hennessey May 22, 1951 2,571,833 Chidsey Oct. 16, 1951 2,611,521 Hackman Sept. 23, 1952 2,614,737 Parker Oct. 21, 1952 2,656,960 Carruth Oct. 27, 1953 2,678,767 Toensmeier May 18, 1954 

